Characters introduced in Samurai Shodown V
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Yoshitora Tokugawa
Whether it's love or fighting, you have to enjoy it to the hilt. What's the point of a life without conflict, anyway?
Origin: Edo, Musashi Province, Japan
Weapons: Nadeshiko, Shirayuri, Botan, Tsubaki, Asagao, Yūgao and Yoshitora note , four shirasaya, a daisho pair and a zanbatō
Voiced by: note
Heir of the Tokugawa regime (yes, that Tokugawa
), he’s rebellious, party crazy and would rather hit on women than govern. He is called back to leadership when his master Gaoh pulls a coup and he is compelled to take him down, helped by Hanzo and Jubei. Finally realizing that With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility, Yoshitora took the position of Shogun. He is also responsible of arranging the tournament behind the sixth game.
), he’s rebellious, party crazy and would rather hit on women than govern. He is called back to leadership when his master Gaoh pulls a coup and he is compelled to take him down, helped by Hanzo and Jubei. Finally realizing that With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility, Yoshitora took the position of Shogun. He is also responsible of arranging the tournament behind the sixth game.- Anime Hair: Wild even for this series, he sports hair like a huge, coiffed broom.
- Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He's very cocky in his skills, which is only rivaled by his confidence in his looks.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Connecting with every single one of his special moves opens up access to his Yuchōka special, a screen-filling projectile that is so powerful it can win entire matches by itself. The problem? A few of the moves you need to unlock it are very situational and nigh-impossible to land in a real match. Fortunately, his overall move-set is considered well-rounded as it is, so unlocking the Final Sword is more for style points. In both VI and 2019 he has a super move that basically amounts to him comboing all his special moves together, which also unlocks the move, but this has its own issues.
- BFS: That huge zanbatō (giant katana) he carries on his lower back. It's only used for his One-Hit KO attack (see Awesome, but Impractical).
- Blood Knight: Yoshitora loves a good fight with a strong opponent almost as much as he loves a good night with a pretty lady.
- The Casanova: In victory, he never leaves the battlefield without a lady (or three) in tow.
- Characterization Marches On: Yoshitora debuts as a bit of a slacker, shirking his obligations as shogun to party, fight and flirt. After defeating Gaoh he begins taking his duties more seriously while still maintaining his love for a good time. In the 2019 game, he finds himself in the crosshairs of Yashamaru, who's father was killed by previous members of the Tokugawa shogunate. Yoshitora not only willingly accepts a battle with Yashamaru, but makes an honest attempt to atone for what his predecessors had done. While he'd still rather be partying, Yoshitora does come to take pride in his vision for a better country, even attempting to recruit Haohmaru to join him in his efforts.
- Chivalrous Pervert: He's definitely a skirt-chaser, but seems to respect and treat women well at the end of the day.
- Contrasting Sequel Protagonist: To Haohmaru. Haohmaru is a travelling warrior with no real affiliation or obligation while Yoshitora is the heir to the Tokugawa shogunate. Haohmaru is loyal to a single woman while Yoshitora has multiple lovers. Haohmaru is a chronic drinker while Yoshitora dislikes alcohol. Many official artworks for V depict the two in battle, playing up this trope. After all, they do have one thing in common, their mutual love of a heated duel.
- Comes Great Responsibility: The weight of having the Tokugawa surname lays heavily on his party-loving shoulders.
- Everyone Has Standards: Despite his womanizing ways, his bio lists him as despising alcohol.
- Flower Motifs: All of his special moves are accompanied by bursts of floral energy corresponding to the flowers his girlfriends/weapons are named after — "Nadeshiko!"
- Graceful Loser: When he loses a match, his final words are to thank his opponent for an exciting bout. Notably, this includes battles that end with his death."Tanoshiku katte ze!" (Roughly, "That was fun!")
- The Hedonist: Like many an aristocrat, his main hobbies are partying and the pursuit of female admirers. Under the "likes" section of his bio, he lists "any kind of amusing diversion".
- Hunk: He's definitely got the looks, build and charm.
- King Incognito: He likes playing this, as the Tokugawa name is a fun-impeding burden he'd rather ditch sometimes.
- Meaningful Name: The august family name Tokugawa means "River of Virtue", and his given name means "Pleasant Tiger", alluding to his charming, yet somewhat predatory sexual appetite.
- Narcissist: He's dashingly handsome, but doesn't he just know it.Yoshitora: "Don't worry, you're not dead. I really am this good-looking."
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Based on the year V occurs (1786), his character is loosely based on Tokugawa Ienari, the eleventh Tokugawa shogun who ruled a rather decadent era.
- Rebel Prince: Although he's heir to the Shogunate, he's more interested in women and partying than politics, and runs away from his palace home, refusing to be the next ruler. It takes Gaoh starting a rebellion against his family to lure him back to governance.
- Royal Blood: A few of the characters would be considered nobles in the Japanese sense, as the samurai class is analogous to the English knightly class, though Yoshitora is easily from the most august family, as he's heir to the Tokugawa Shogunate and his father is the de facto ruler of Japan.
- Royal Harem: One of his defining characteristics is his insatiable sexual appetite, and he keeps a harem of six beautiful women of varying types (cute and sweet, demure and vampish) close to hand — all of whom he names his swords after.
- Rule of Cool: Way too many swords to handle by any normal person, no matter how skilled.
- Shout-Out: He was designed by Nobuhiro Watsuki of Rurouni Kenshin fame and was made to be a tribute to Chō, from the multiple swords and broom hair, but not the Shogun heritage.
- Simple, yet Opulent: He sports a golden-yellow yukata that on the surface appears quite simple, but in 2019, on closer inspection, it is beautifully dyed, fading into lime green at the hem and embellished with beautiful embroidery on the lining and collar, befitting his royal status.
- Sword Beam: He can create a large vertical sword beam when using the Yoshitora zanbato.
- Theme Naming: All his attacks are named after flowers, as are his swords, which are named for his girlfriends, who all sport one of the so-called "Geisha names" — that is, names (often florally inspired) that follow conventions and forms typical to the Geisha community.
- Walking Arsenal: Seven friggin' swords! Four short-swords, two regular-length swords, and one giant sword as long as he is tall. He's able to Dual Wield these blades at will and slice with them almost too fast to see.
- Warrior Prince: He's the heir to the Tokugawa Shogunate and is also a highly competent swordsman.
Mina Majikina
I have to end this before I can't anymore... Before it's too late...
Origin: Okinawa, Ryukyu Kingdom note
note Helper: Chample
Voiced by: note
A young Ryukyuan (Okinawan) girl blessed with a certain demon-hunting power. She was revered as a Kaminchu (literally "god person"), but ends up being shunned due to locals fearing her power, which causes her to seclude herself from others. Her only companion is a... creature...thing... named Chample, whom she met after she returned from a demon-hunting trip. After a demon levels her village, she sets out on a quest to destroy it...only to find that the demon was, in fact, Chample. Initially believed to have then killed Chample and committed suicide out of despair, she returns in 2019 alive and well, now sporting an eyepatch, along with Chample.
- Aloof Archer: Mina has incredible range, but is VERY vulnerable up close. She's also pretty downbeat and emotionless, to better her 'stern archer' image.
- Ambiguously Brown: Okinawans are viewed as somewhat exotic by mainland Japanese, perhaps explaining her grey-white hair and tanned complexion.
- Balance Buff: In V, Mina's moveset is focused entirely on zoning with high-risk, high-reward arrow shots. Everything about her moveset, including her normals, revolved around her firing arrows, making her a case of Crippling Overspecialization, which made her very annoying and high-tier in the original version before she was nerfed in V Special. In 2019, however, Mina received a radical overhaul to her moveset, completely reworking it to the point where she almost feels like a new character. She still has strong zoning capabilities, but she is now much more well-rounded, being able to hit opponents with her bow and go on the offensive with stance cancels and mixups.
- Doomed Hometown: Her story kicks off after a demon (later revealed to be Chample) destroys her village, which sets her on a mission to exorcise it.
- Downloadable Content: She returns to the series in 2019 as part of the second wave of DLC characters.
- Does Not Like Men: Is very apprehensive and edgy around males.
- The Dog Was the Mastermind: The conclusion of her story in V amounts to this. In her ending, the seemingly adorable, innocuous Chample reverts back to his true Shisa form and Mina senses his energy to be akin to the one responsible for her village's destruction. Mina prepares to necessarily kill Chample and promises to follow him in death soon afterward...
- Driven to Suicide: The very purpose of her mission is to kill the demon responsible for destroying her village, but having found out that it was Chample all along, she is necessarily compelled to kill him. Having realized she has killed her only friend, it's heavily implied she commits suicide in what is undoubtedly one of most down-beat, nay depressing endings in the fighting game genre. However, her ending in Samurai Shodown 2019 (set a year after V) reveals that she was unable to go through with killing Chample, choosing instead to seal his evil within her.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: In 2019 it's revealed that she chose to absorb the evil within Chample rather than killing him. This results in frequent bouts of agonizing pain as the evil tries to escape. It is only in her ending that she is finally able to rid herself of the evil by dispatching Shizuka, thereby also fully saving Chample. Her mission complete, she sails back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, now finally free of her burdens.
- Emotionless Girl: She’s a morose, downbeat kind of girl — likely due to her village being mysteriously destroyed.
- Eye Scream: She wears an eyepatch over her right eye in her 2019 redesign, which seals the evil within Chample, preventing his murderous rampages. The evil’s frequent attempts to escape cause her terrible pain.
- Eyepatch of Power: Sports one over her right eye in the 2019 game. It's actually a seal that binds the evil within Chample.
- Foil: Like Yoshitora and Haohmaru, Mina was designed by the team to provide contrast to Nakoruru. Nakoruru is strong willed and outgoing while Mina is dour and introverted. Nakoruru's companion is a loyal hawk while Mina's is a treacherous demon.
- Glass Cannon: Despite her high damage output and extremely annoying screen controlling tactics, she can't take a hit at all. One or two mistakes on her part, which aren't that hard to make, and she'll be killed quickly.
- Handicapped Badass: According to her bio in 2019, she sealed Chample's darkness inside her and she’s slowly being consumed by it. Furthermore, this has taken a toll on her fighting prowess, forcing her to modify her fighting style by adding a blade to her bow for close-quarters combat.
- Loners Are Freaks: Being born with strong spiritual powers, she was raised separately from her family, worshipped but also feared, and shunned because of her powers.
- Long-Range Fighter: Mina has a full-screen range with her bow and easily the longest reach in the series.
- Magical Girl Warrior: Mina is a Kaminchu (神人, "god person") — a type of priestess specializing in Ryukyuan magico-religious practices, usually those involving incorporeal beings. Her social role corresponds to that of a shaman, medium, or healer/guardian, as well as a demon-hunter.
- Meaningful Name:
- Majikina means "True mirror name". “Mina” is a broad-spectrum name encountered in many languages but in Japanese, in names like “Mina(ko)”, it typically means “Beauty” — which of course Mina is. Furthermore, as seen in her ending, an Ainu priestess confirms to her that in the Ainu tongue, her name means "to laugh", and that she hopes to see Mina live up to her namesake in the future.
- "Chample" appears to be a muddled romanisation of Chanpurū note , which is a traditional Okinawan stir-fry — he's apparently named after the national dish. It's a word often used to refer to the mixed culture of Okinawa itself.
- Mechanically Unusual Fighter: Her bow and arrow weapon sets her apart dramatically from the series’ other fighters, who are all armed with a variety of melee weapons which require directly engaging with the opponent. Mina’s bow demands a completely different approach, requiring fire-and-flight tactics to keep the opponent far out of their own attack range and her out of harm's way, as up close, she’s incredibly vulnerable.
- Multi-Ranged Master: In 2019, Mina's fighting style is quite different than in V. Explained by her having lost an eye, her archery skills are less prevalent and she has attached a small blade to the tip of her bow, allowing her to be more effective (and balanced) up-close.
- Mystical White Hair: A potential by-product of her demon-hunting powers, or because of albinism.
- Named After Somebody Famous: She is likely named after revered Okinawan scholar, Anko Majikina.
- Non-Human Sidekick: She’s consistently accompanied by Chample, a seemingly Ridiculously Cute Critter who is, in fact, a Shisa, a traditional Ryukyuan cultural artifact and decoration derived from Chinese guardian lions (often seen in similar pairs) resembling a cross between a lion and a dog from Okinawan mythology.
- Promoted to Playable: Chample in the home ports of VI.
- Retcon: It was believed that she had killed Chample and then committed suicide afterward. However, to excuse her appearance in 2019, Mina's story was reworked, explaining that she chose to seal the evil controlling Chample within herself, necessitating an eyepatch and a radical change in fighting style.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: Following Chample's battle to the death with Mina after the events of V, in 2019 he now sports a demonic seal shaped like a bandage across his forehead — likely to stop him wreaking any more havoc.
- Sliding Scale of Gameplay and Story Integration: Of the Deliberate Integration type. According to Kuroki-the game's producer- he added an eyepatch to Mina's sketches on a whim because he thought it would look cool. The rest of the staff liked the addition so much than it was decided to write it into her story and change her moveset accordingly.
- Shout-Out: Her fighting style — The Secret Way of the Drawn Crescent Moon — is named for a book written by author Kyokutei Bakin and her bow is named after Chinzei Hachirō Tametomo, better known as Minamoto no Tametomo, a legendary samurai archer.
- Steven Ulysses Perhero: To a western audience, the name “Mina Majikina” sounds like she’s some sort of cartoon witch — as in, she’s 'Magic Mina'. However, “Majikina” is very much a real Okinawan surname, and she’s likely named after the scholar Anko Majikina, who also hailed from Okinawa.
- Stripperiffic: Aside from the long skirt she ties around her waist, she's basically wearing a bikini.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: As opposed to her depressing ending in V, her non-canon ending in VI was much more hopeful, with Yoshitora revealing that he had investigated the whereabouts of Mina's father. This led her to his grave, where an awaiting elderly Ainu lady assured Mina that her father loved her and she should try to smile more since her name means 'to laugh' in the Ainu tongue. Her 2019 ending, as detailed above under Earn Your Happy Ending, is even more positive.
- Took a Level in Badass: Mina returns in the 2019 game with a jagged blade fixed to her bow and a new, more versatile moveset that allows her to fight on similar ground to her opponents rather than simply running away and flooding the battlefield with arrows.
- Youkai: Chample is referred to as an ayakashi, and is specifically a shisa, which are guardian deities in Okinawan mythology. The evil energy corrupting and controlling him, however, renders him contrary to their usual depiction, at least until he is finally freed from it in Mina's 2019 ending.
Liu Yunfei
What a waste of time!
Origin: Chang'an, Tang Empire note
Voiced by: note
An old warrior who can fly with the power of the wind. He was actually born in the year 740 A.D. during China's Tang Dynasty, and by 800 A.D., he was living in relative peace with his beloved wife. Desiring to gain more power, that same year he made a deal with a demonic being calling himself "The Dark Emperor" (Kuraki-sumeragi) which caused him to go berserk. He killed his wife before finally being sealed inside a boulder by his eight students. He reenters the world a millennium later after the evil entity leaves his body to possess Gaoh. He makes it his final mission to stop Gaoh by any means possible...
- The Atoner: Having killed his own wife, due to the influence of an evil spirit he'd allowed to possess him, he attempts to atone for his past crimes.
- Badass Teacher: He had to be a great master if it took eight of his own students to seal him away when he was Brainwashed and Crazy.
- Blow You Away: One of the few wind-based fighters in the series.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: When he was under the influence of a demonic entity.
- Deal with the Devil: Forged a deal with an evil spirit in an attempt to become stronger.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: Due to his possession by an evil demon, his spirit was necessarily sealed by his students inside a boulder in the year 800 A.D. In the late 1700s, when the series is set, he is freed once more after the evil demon leaves his spirit to possess Gaoh.
- Kill the Ones You Love: Under the influence of a demon, he slaughtered his own wife.
- Meaningful Name: Yunfei translates as "Flying cloud" in keeping with his Wire Fu style.
- Older Than They Look: He's physically 60 years old, but chronologically, since he was actually born during the Tang Dynasty, he's over 1000 years old.
- Old Master: 'Old' being the operative word. He comes complete with flowing silver hair and a long beard.
- Redemption Equals Death: He redeems himself by allowing himself to become repossessed by the demon he originally struck a deal with and then having Goah kill him, which also destroys the demon's evil essence. After he is struck down, he is reunited with his wife (presumably in heaven).
- Shout-Out: His name is composed of Shu's three sworn brothers from Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.
- Soul Power: His fatality allows him to extract the soul of the victim and cut it in half, killing him/her.
- Wind Is Green: Sports a grass-green, typically Chinese outfit and specializes in wind-augmented moves.
- Wire Fu: He takes inspiration from typical wuxia traits, with the most notable of these being his ability to float through the air, an exaggerated approximation of qinggong or "lightness skills".
Sankuro Yorozu
Me? A cheat? Gehehehe!
Origin: Sakai, Izumi Province, Japan
Weapon(s): Tenka Ippin note , a giant wooden mallet
Helpers: Fuyo, Ippachi and Goshichi
Voiced by: note
A lowly thug who's looking for an easy way to make a quick buck. He is the gang leader of a group of miscreants consisting of him, Goshichi, Fuyo and Ippachi — all three appear to assist him in attacks. His mission is to become the Lord of Hinowa with minimal effort, so he hires Genjuro Kibagami to dispatch Gaoh, though due to his own duplicity, Genjuro turns on him and he has to beat a hasty retreat, never to be seen again. Maybe he died...
- Asshole Victim: No one missed him when Genjuro sent him packing.
- Assist Character: His partners Goshichi, Fuyo, and Ippachi, who can all attack or stall the opponent.
- Bad Boss: While His minions worship him, Sankuro doesn't think too highly of them.
- Dirty Coward: Needs to cheat with assists to win a bout. Also, in his ending, he's too chicken to take on Genjuro face-to-face and only attempts to strike when his back is turned.
- Head Swap: Of Genjuro.
- Human Traffickers: In pre-match dialogue with some of the female characters, such as Nakoruru, Charlotte or Rimururu, he claims he'll sell them at the slave-markets, which alongside his myriad of other negative qualities, only goes to emphasize how vile he actually is.
- Jerkass: Literally has no redeeming features whatsoever and was seemingly designed to be as irritating as possible, both in character and in terms of having him as an opponent.
- Large Ham: His poses are pompous and his dialogue full of bluster.
- Mid-Boss: Of V — he's one of the sub bosses of the game along with Yumeji.
- Numerical Theme Naming: His own name is made up of the kanji for three (San), nine (Kyu/Ku) and six (Roku/Ro). His associates are Goshichi (Five-Seven), Fuyo (Two-Four), and Ippachi (One-Eight). Sort of fitting that they all debut in Samurai Spirits Zero.
- Reused Character Design: He comes across like a bad sprite-swap of Genjuro, as seen in his Palette Swap costume and some of his poses and moves. His animations are sub-par, and his assistants' animations are even worse, with barely any movement at all — Ippachi is basically a flat image that sails in to "grab" your feet. This lends Sankuro a tacked-on, lazy feeling in a series where this is usually not the case.
- Shout-Out:
- His personality and some elements of his design were modeled after the characters Jagi and Amiba from Hokuto no Ken.
- Ippachi and Goshichi are very similar to Boyacky and Tonzura from Yatterman.
- Smug Snake: He thinks he's terribly clever in trying to manipulate Genjuro — but fails to realize he's dealing with a sadistic killer. He also sports a shit-eating grin whenever he summons his cronies in battle, just to further infuriate you.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Goes so far as to call his style 'The Strongest Style'. He fails to exhibit the charm that Dan Hibiki possesses though.
- SNK Boss: Well, mid-boss. Fighting him is required and HELLISH in every way possible due to his interrupting minions, heavy damage, and frickin' pistol, which can outright kill you in one.
- Too Spicy for Yog-Sothoth: Kusaregedo will eat anything... except this guy. He apparently doesn't taste too good, for some reason...
- The Trickster: If summoning assists in a one-on-one fight is already unfair, Sankuro also has hidden bombs and even a revolver to finish his opponent.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: His yukata is slung off his shoulders like Genjuro's.
- Would Hit a Girl: With relish — he claims he's looking forward to beating up Mina and Rera specifically because they're female.
Kusaregedo
I so hungry. How about a bite?
Origin: Sado Island, Sado Province, Japan note
Voiced by: note
Fully titled Youkai Kusaregedo. A giant gaki who was once a kind man... except for his cannibalistic tendencies (caused by the Great Tenmei Famine), which cursed him into becoming the terrifying creature he is now. All he cares about eating, eating and more eating — and he likes eating humans... especially little girls. One day, he happens to pick up the scent of Rimururu and proceeds to chase her, only to be stopped by his own daughter Hakana, who pleaded him with to revert to the man he used to be. Kusaregedo manages to remember her... but then proceeds to EAT her.
who was once a kind man... except for his cannibalistic tendencies (caused by the Great Tenmei Famine), which cursed him into becoming the terrifying creature he is now. All he cares about eating, eating and more eating — and he likes eating humans... especially little girls. One day, he happens to pick up the scent of Rimururu and proceeds to chase her, only to be stopped by his own daughter Hakana, who pleaded him with to revert to the man he used to be. Kusaregedo manages to remember her... but then proceeds to EAT her.- Autocannibalism: One of his victory poses is him taking a bite out of his own arm.
- Bad with the Bone: His weapon is a sharpened bone jammed into his forearm.
- Bald of Evil: His giant head is bald on top.
- Child Eater: His Trademark Favorite Food.
- Composite Character: He seems to combine aspects of Earthquake and Shiranui Gen-An, who oddly enough, are missing from the game in which he debuts. The biggest difference being that while they have some good qualities, he has none present. Whatsoever.
- Eldritch Location: His home-stage is set on the real-world Sado Island, but the stage's propping suggests an evil, haunted locale.
- The Giant: Standing 14'11", he's easily the tallest character in the series.
- Gonk: He’s one of the most horrifying characters in fighting games in general, let alone his home-series.
- Hulk Speak: In place of his biographical information are various disturbingly hilarious quips such as "I want some roashted childly wildies!"
- I'm a Humanitarian: His transformation into a gluttonous youkai in the first place was punishment for cannibalism in his lifetime, though his backstory's great emphasis on his former kindness brings some doubt as to whether it was of his own volition. He'll eat all kinds of humans, children being his favorite, but for reasons unrelated to having standards on cannibalism, he finds Sankuro very un-tasty and refuses to eat him.
- Karma Houdini: Despite being a murderous cannibal, he's never brought to justice. Maybe he got away scot-free, or if he was killed, we don't know who by — his ending in V just lists him as being 'never seen again'. In his ending in VI, Kusaregedo ate pretty much everyone and was never heard of again.
- Meaningful Name: His name translates to "Rotting fiend".
- Obviously Evil: A giant, terrifying ogre-like creature that eats children and has a horrific exposed bone as a weapon.
- Tragic Villain: Despite being a terrifying, disgusting monster, he didn't become the Youkai he is right now by choice. The Great Tenmei Famine drove him to cannibalism, cursing him into his current form.
- Villainous Glutton: His killing instinct is led by his insatiable appetite.
- Was Once a Man: He was once a kind man living peacefully on Sado Island, however, due to the Great Tenmei Famine, starvation led him to develop cannibalistic tendencies, which cursed him into becoming the terrifying creature he is now.
- Would Hurt a Child: And eat one, of course.
- Youkai: Gaki (known as "Preta" in Sanskrit: प्रेत) and "Hungry Ghost" in other Asian cultures), are a type of supernatural being described in Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion as undergoing suffering greater than that of humans, particularly an extreme level of hunger and thirst.
Rera
Go away! Your evil corrupts good hearts!
Origin: Kamuikotan, the Ainu Lands, Ezo
Helper: Shikuru
Voiced by: note
The story of her creation is an interesting one, unique in the series, and goes as follows; — during the early days of Samurai Shodown, the palette swap of Nakoruru was often seen with a naughty/malicious grin, instead of her usually innocent face. The intrigue built up until she started to become unique enough that when the Slash/Bust system was introduced, she was partnered with a wolf named Shikuru instead of Mamahaha. Fans originally thought her to be the Evil Twin of Nakoruru, but eventually, the character was fleshed out further by SNK and named Rera, thus becoming a character in her own right.
- Anti Heroine: She loves nature as much as Nakoruru does, but is much more extreme in the way she goes about protecting it.
- Ascended Extra: She was only a palette swap at first, and eventually becomes more and more integral to Nakoruru's story.
- Big Damn Heroes: She took over Nakoruru's body twice, and both times it was to save both their lives.
- The Beast Master: She commands the wolf Shikuru — she can even ride him into combat.
- Grand Theft Me: A slightly necessary version, given that, in Rera's view, Nakoruru is a tad too good sometimes.
- Head Swap: Somewhat justified due to her origin, though she's essentially just a Nakoruru clone with a few added techniques.
- Japanese Ranguage: Her name provides a textbook example. In the Ainu language, there is no "R/L" ambiguity, as there is in modern Japanese, so her name is undoubtedly supposed to be romanized as the far more lyrical "Lela".
- Meaningful Name: "Rera (Lela)" means "wind" in the Ainu language, and true to her name, she's one the series' fastest characters.
- My Future Self and Me: Being a Dream Match Game, in VI you can choose Rera AND Purple Nakoruru and make them fight.
- Purple Is Powerful: In the early days of the games, when she was "Purple Nakoruru", she had a sadistic grin, which lent the impression that Nakoruru was more powerful and lethal in that palette. Reaffirmed in III when she controlled the wolf Shikuru.
- The Stoic: Maintains a grim, granite-like facade.
- Superpowered Evil Side: She's this for Nakoruru, but she's not actually evil, just a Well-Intentioned Extremist, who was sickened with Nakoruru's unwillingness to hurt people to achieve her goals, and therefore forcibly possesses her body in times of peril.
- Was Too Hard on Him: Eventually, she comes to understand that sometimes peaceful methods can be a viable option to solve problems, rather than just fighting, and thus she returned Nakoruru's body. Subsequently, Rera never possessed Nakoruru's body again.
- What the Hell, Hero?: To Nakoruru in her opening sequences, before going ahead and possessing her.
Rasetsumaru
Don't die yet, it's boring!
Origin: Makai (the demon world)
Voiced by: note
A demon released from Makai when Amakusa made a deal with Ambrosia. He exists purely to kill, reflecting his red blood blade. He's a failed clone of Haohmaru, created by Amakusa to be the perfect warrior. In his storyline, he hates not only Haohmaru but also Amakusa for creating him and hunts both of them down.
- Amazing Technicolor Population: Rasetsumaru has an unearthly purple skin-tone.
- Ax-Crazy: His "bio" is a collection of obsessive quotes with regards to his homicidal urges.
- Beat Still, My Heart: His Zetsumei Ougi.
- Canon Immigrant: Rasetsumaru is directly based on Haohmaru's Evil Knockoff from the Samurai Spirits: Haohmaru Jigokugyo manga and his move set is based on Bust/Rasetsu Haohmaru.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Likes doing this to his victims.
- Combat Sadomasochist: One of his specials involves cutting himself across the chest with his blade, causing him to bleed and take damage to fill up his rage gauge.
- Evil Knockoff: According to some sources, Rasetsumaru was Amakusa's failed attempt at creating his own minion modeled after Haohmaru.
- Meaningful Name: "Rasetsu" (The Japanese term for "Rakshasa") was the name used for the alternate gameplay mode in III & IV.
- Self-Harm: Can cut himself to instantly achieve POW state, but at the cost of 1/3 of his life-bar.
- Unstoppable Rage: Notable in that his gameplay style actually revolves around the Rage mechanic. Normally, Rasetsumaru plays like a slightly nerfed, more combo-oriented version of Haohmaru. The latter part is very important, because he has THE best super in V and he can combo into it VERY easily, making him extremely deadly during POW state.
Enja
Ma Ru Wana..!
Origin: Makai (the demon world)
Voiced by: note
Enja is one of Liu Yunfei's disciples from 1,000 years ago, who succumbed to the powers of the demon world. He became a powerful elemental demon that was eventually sealed by Hazuki Kazama, who fused his spirit with Kazuki's sword.
- Difficult, but Awesome: Carrying over from Kazuki's Bust mode, his move-set is based around a rekka chain that ends in a one-frame link. Succeeding allows Enja to potentially end the round in a single move. Failure, however, leaves him wide open for retaliation.
- Expy: Of Kazuki's Bust Mode in 64 games.
- Meaningful Name: "Evil flame", originally used as a title for Warrior's Rage (Neo Geo 64) Rasetsu Kazuki.
- No Indoor Voice: To say the least...
- The Unintelligible: He speaks entirely in Angrish.
- With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: He lost his mind when he became a demon, leaving him nothing more than a savage beast fuelled only by hate, rage, and destructive impulses.
Suija
Bow before me!
Origin: Makai (the demon world)
Voiced by: note
Enja's brother, and unlike his berserker of a brother, Suija is a much more composed person... with an ambition to become a God. Like Enja, he ends up being sealed into Sogetsu's weapon by Hazuki.
- Anime Hair: Sports a vast mane of bright blue hair.
- Creepy High-Pitched Voice: Suija's voice clips are very shrill and unnerving, not unlike Vega of Street Fighter II fame.
- Expy: Of Sogetsu's Bust Mode in 64 games.
- Meaningful Name: "Evil water", originally used as a title for Warrior's Rage (Neo Geo 64) Rasetsu Sogetsu.
- Rain of Blood: What his Zetsumei Ougi results in. He's currently the image provider too.
Yumeji Kurokochi
The path of the swordsman can be a sinful one!
Origin: Edo, Musashi Province, Japan
Weapon: a nameless iaitō
Voiced by: note
The child of Ukyo's mentor. Apparently based on Oda Nobunaga's Uke, Mori Ranmaru, who looked as equally feminine. Expelled from their dojo of origin, Yumeji ends up becoming Gaoh's right-hand person. They are later defeated by Ukyo, but avoid execution. Yumeji later becomes a nun and is responsible for permanently killing Rasetsumaru.
- Aloof Dark-Haired Girl: Sports waist-length hair pulled into a long ponytail, and is a very serious person, with body issues that are probably gender-related
- Ambiguous Gender: Yumeji is unique in the roster in terms of having no definite canon gender. The developers of the game, Yuki Enterprise, encouraged players to "believe whatever you believe Yumeji to be". To add to the confusion, Yumeji speaks in gender-neutral Japanese in both official their story and in-game text, and Yumeji's voice actor is known for voicing both genders. Due to the openness of the statement, players still argue over Yumeji's gender to this day. The gender-neutral pronoun "they/them" is therefore used here.
- Criss-Cross Attack: Yumeji has a Meteor Move where they move at lightning speed towards the opponent, passing through and behind him or her before sheathing their sword. A split second later, the opponent is sliced by various slashes and collapses to the ground.
- Ditto Fighter: They are the "Tsungxpert" variant. At their debut, Yumeji's specialty move is the ability to morph into the other fighters and use their moves at will, à la Twelve of Street Fighter fame.
- The Dragon: To Gaoh — exemplified in-game where they act as the Sub-Boss in V.
- Head Swap: Of Ukyo.
- Heir to the Dojo: For a while, though they were expelled for unknown reasons.
- Iaijutsu Practitioner: Just like Yumeji's father and Ukyo, sharing some moves with the latter.
- Important Haircut: When defeated by Ukyo, Yumeji begged for death, but Ukyo just cut their ponytail off and ordered them to go home.
- Meaningful Name: "Kurokuchi" translates as "The black river within", and "Yumeji" as "Dreaming".
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: As stated, with their Ambiguous Gender and being the right-hand person of a conquering warlord, Yumeji is based on the young page who served Oda Nobunaga, Mori Ranmaru.
- Nun Too Holy: Instead of going back home after Ukyo defeats them and orders them to do as such, Yumeji becomes a nun — but still somehow manages to kill Rasetsumaru at some point.
- Sub-Boss: Of V — they are always encountered before the final assault on Gaoh.
- Tomboyish Ponytail: Well, until Ukyo cuts it off.
Gaoh
Gaoh
Demon Gaoh
Reveal to me your samurai spirit!
Origin: Hinowa Province, Japan
Weapon: Onijūji Shihōin note , a jumonji-yari
Voiced by: note
Fully titled Gaoh, Rebellious Earl of Hinowa (Kyogoku Hinowa no Kami Gaoh). Based on the Demon King Oda Nobunaga himself, Gaoh is a general of Tokugawa who became sickened with how the shogunate, not to mention the heir Yoshitora, whom he mentored, was becoming disgustingly slack and undisciplined. Feeling it his responsibility to set the tone straight, Gaoh led a rebellion, assisted by Yumeji. Along the way, he was possessed by the same demon that made a deal with Yunfei. Yunfei later hunts him down and helps free him of the demon's influence and banishes it. He is later beaten by Yoshitora and in death, he is finally able to see Yoshitora reassuringly maturing.
In the sixth dream match game, there's a version of him called 'Gaoh, Tyrant of Makai' or 'Demon Gaoh', which is a continuation of his and Kuraki Sumeragi's stories after they are defeated and banished to the Demon World by Yunfei in the previous game. Once there, he conquers the Demon World and rules it as the Demon King, with his next objective being to conquer "the world above."
In the sixth dream match game, there's a version of him called 'Gaoh, Tyrant of Makai' or 'Demon Gaoh', which is a continuation of his and Kuraki Sumeragi's stories after they are defeated and banished to the Demon World by Yunfei in the previous game. Once there, he conquers the Demon World and rules it as the Demon King, with his next objective being to conquer "the world above."
- Ambiguously Brown: As Demon Gaoh.
- And Then John Was a Zombie: His status in VI. In the default game, Gaoh didn't end up becoming a demon completely, as Yunfei's interference restored his humanity enough to face Yoshitora as a human. In the dream match, Yunfei's exorcism also sent him to the Demon World and Gaoh started to relish his demonic power.
- Animated Armor: Dark Emperor's "true" form is a ghostly living suit of armor.
- Anti-Villain: Everything Gaoh does comes from genuine concern for the country's future under Yoshitora.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Technically. While he is defeated and stopped, he does achieve his goal of securing a better future for Japan, as Yoshitora is inspired by their encounter to take his duties more seriously and become a great shogun for his people.
- Big Bad: With the Dark Emperor demon as the Man Behind the Man and Greater-Scope Villain.
- Blue Blood: He's the feudal lord or Daimyo (literally “large private land”) of Hinowa Province, with a title analogous to a British Earl or Duke and is therefore amongst the highest-ranking Japanese characters in the series — only Yoshitora really exceeds him in terms of power and status.
- The Cameo: In the 2019 story mode intro scene, you can see Gaoh fighting in the background.
- Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: His intro image in the dream match, whereas he beckons the player to engage with him while simultaneously stomping on Satan's head.
- Fictional Country: Gaoh is based on Oda Nobunaga, who was born in Nagoya (Owari Province), but he’s noted as hailing from (and ruling) the Province of “Hinowa” (“Land of the Sun”), which is a made-up region of Edo-period Japan, and there never was a Province named as such.
- Hades Shaded: As Demon Gaoh, he sports a dark reddish skin tone, clearly distinct from Mina's natural tan.
- Killed Off for Real: He is defeated and executed by Yoshitora for his betrayal of the shogunate.
- Meaningful Name: He’s titled “Rebellious Earl of Hinowa". His given name, Gaoh, translates as "The thriving one".
- Noble Demon: A villain that nonetheless has the best interests of his nation at heart. And he's not amused with some of the more obviously evil characters in the game, like Kusaregedo.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: As stated, he's based on Oda Nobunaga, although his demonic status was at first unwilling, and his mission was not to conquer Japan but to reform the Shogunate, which he saw as corrupt, and make Yoshitora a responsible person in the process. The What If? story in the sixth game was a take on the popular concept of Demon King Nobunaga.
- One-Winged Angel: The Dark Emperor/Kuraki-Sumeragi
- SNK Boss: One of the toughest out there — aside from being able to transform into his demonic form, his jumonji spear gives him one of the longest reaches in the games, both on the ground and in the air. He is also one of the stronger characters, dealing greater damage even if his hits are blocked.
- Shout-Out: Gaoh is one enormous shoutout to Fist of the North Star, from being voiced by Kenji "Raoh" Utsumi to shouting such things as "Tenha Kassatsu!" and "Hikanu!", two famous lines of Kenshiro and Souther respectively. He even mimics Raoh's iconic "Of this life, I have no regrets!" pose.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: He saw the Shogunate growing corrupt, and his student, the heir Yoshitora, as being a slacker that had almost no interest in ruling. For that, he commanded a rebellion to either reform the state or make Yoshitora take the responsibility befitting his position.
